Marilyn Hickey, Pioneering Pentecostal Televangelist, Dies At 94
Marilyn Hickey, a Pentecostal televangelist whose ministry reached millions — but who also drew fire for her fundraising methods — died Saturday in Denver. She was 94.
“A faithful servant of God, Marilyn dedicated her life to covering the earth with God’s Word — inspiring faith in countless lives,” a Facebook post from the ministry said on Sunday. “Though we mourn this loss, we find peace in knowing she is now in the presence of the Lord and her ministry will continue for generations to come. Please join us in praying for her family and loved ones during this time.”
Born Marilyn Allene Sweitzer on July 1, 1931, in Dalhart, Texas, Hickey became a Christian at 16. She graduated from the University of Northern Colorado in 1953 with a degree in collective foreign languages.
She married Assemblies of God minister Wallace “Wally” Hickey on Dec. 26, 1954. The couple settled in Denver, founding a congregation in 1960. That church later became Encounter Church, which says it “strive(s) to meet people where they are, love them for who they are, and encourage them to continue to grow” through the Holy Spirit.
Around the time the couple launched the Colorado congregation, Marilyn and Wallace met the Pentecostal evangelist T. L. Osborn, who was a formative influence on their ministry theology. The three became close, and Hickey later became a guest speaker at Osborn conferences. The relationship lasted decades; Osborn died just four months after Wallace Hickey’s passing.
Marilyn Hickey began leading home Bible studies in the early 1960s. By 1973, those studies had grown into 22 groups.
That same year, at 42, she launched the television ministry that became Marilyn Hickey Ministries. Its motto came from Isaiah 11:9 — “cover the earth with the Word.” She was one of the few women to launch a broadcast ministry at the time.
Her program later became “Today with Marilyn and Sarah” after her daughter, Sarah Bowling, joined as co-host in 1996.
The ministry said the program aired on Christian networks including Daystar, Word Network, GEB America, TCT and Cornerstone Television.
Hickey’s teaching attracted opposition. Critics objected to the prosperity gospel theology, with “name-it-and-claim-it” positive confession and seed-faith giving, as well as her emphasis on healing and spiritual warfare.
Her innovative fundraising drew special ire.
“Hickey … was famous for sending trinkets in the mail for those who sent donations,” Alabama religion reporter Greg Garrison wrote. “Hickey’s fund-raising methods included promising to send items such as miracle carrot seeds, blessed ropes, blessed pennies, anointed prayer cloths or red elastic bands.”
Hickey also became known for international evangelistic work, especially in Muslim-majority countries. She traveled to more than 146 countries over the course of more than five decades, her ministry said on its website.
Pakistan became one of her signature mission fields. In 2016, at age 85, she addressed a reported crowd of more than 1 million people in Karachi.
She often said: “I love Muslims and they love me.”
CBS News later followed Hickey to Pakistan for a 2017 “CBSN: On Assignment” report titled “Muslims Love Me.”
During that trip, she met the grand imam of Lahore, who said: “Her love and her visit is more effective than other people.”
Hickey also ministered in Iran, Sudan, India, Ethiopia and Egypt. Her daughter’s 2009 encounter with abandoned newborn twins in Ethiopia helped inspire the humanitarian ministry Saving Moses, which the organization says “helps babies ages 0 to 5 in some of the darkest corners of the world.”
Hickey authored or co-authored more than 110 books, including “The Power of Prayer and Fasting,” “Names of God,” “Breaking Generational Curses” and her autobiography, “It’s Not Over Until You Win.”
She served on Oral Roberts University’s Board of Regents and chaired it from 1988 to 2007. ORU awarded her an honorary doctorate of divinity in 1986. Nearly 30 years later, ORU gave Hickey its Lifetime Global Achievement Award.
The Assemblies of God Theological Seminary gave her its Pillar of Faith Award in 2021, with George O. Wood, then the interim president of Evangel University, lauding her outreach.
“Marilyn has led an amazing life,” Wood said at the time. “Here in the United States and around the world, Marilyn has a sterling reputation in ministry. We are grateful for her support of students who are preparing to make an impact in their future careers.”
Wallace Hickey, her husband of 58 years, died in 2012 after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. The couple had two children, Sarah Bowling and Michael Hickey, and four grandchildren.
Isabell Bowling, one of her grandchildren, works in the ministry and produces a daily podcast featuring Marilyn Hickey’s archived teachings.
This article was originally published by The Roys Report.
Mark A. Kellner is a reporter based in Mesquite, Nevada. He most recently covered statewide elections for the New York Post and was for three years the Faith & Family Reporter for The Washington Times. Mark is a graduate of the University of the Cumberlands and also attended Boston University’s College of Communication.